Welcome

Dear residents and friends,

I deeply appreciate your support and confidence and I look forward to an ongoing dialogue with you on the many issues, challenges and opportunities we'll face together as a community here in Ward 22, St. Paul's and as a city.

I'm advocating for a more thoughtful, creative and responsible new approach for city council. I want council to engage our city's residents with an inspiring plan and make informed decisions that are based on evidence, community consultation and the merits of arguments - rather than ideology or left or right-wing partisanship.

My staff and I are here to assist you with any concerns or questions you may have. We're also working every day to improve our local neighbourhoods- along with supporting the many valued services Torontonians rely on every day. You are always welcome to contact me at 416-392-7906 or by email at councillor_matlow@toronto.ca.

It was a pleasure to see so many of you at Davisville subway station today as we discussed the need to move forward with the Relief Subway Line, Toronto's evidence-based transit priority. I look forward to visiting many other stations to ask TTC riders to help see this vital project finally get built. We've waited far too long already.

This week at city council, despite unacceptable bickering by a few, divisive politics and strange dance party (yes, this really happened), I continued to work respectfully with my colleagues, focus on our priorities and am pleased to report that some very substantive work was accomplished on several important issues including snow clearing standards and traffic congestion. In 2014, I really want Council to have less drama. Council should be completely dedicated to professional, thoughtful, innovative, fiscally-responsible and city-building initiatives that serve Toronto's residents.

This past year has been challenging. But it has also been remarkably fulfilling. I feel so fortunate to be able to offer ideas to council that I believe reflect our community's priorities and improve our city as a whole. I also deeply enjoy working with local residents to create farmers markets, build playgrounds, improve our neighbourhoods' safety (I'm also advocating for safer school zones), revitalize our parks and main streets, advocate for more appropriate and well designed development and support our schools. I love our Ward 22 community and am deeply grateful to serve you. I am also grateful that my wife Melissa and I are raising our daughter Molly, who will be a year-old on January 4th, in such a remarkable part of Toronto. In other words, I want to thank you.

I wish you and your families a very, Merry Christmas and to all, a Happy New Year.

Warm regards,

Josh

Traffic Congestion Management Plan

Since the day I was elected to represent our community I have been advocating that City Hall make tackling traffic congestion and grid lock a top priority as it's a significant problem for Toronto's motorists, public transit users and cyclists alike. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently noted that the Greater Toronto Area suffers from the longest work commute times in North America. This congestion costs the region's economy an estimated $3.3 billion per year while negatively impacting on the quality of life of our residents. I believe, like most residents I hear from, that this is unacceptable.

I have been actively advocating for improved standards when it comes to winter maintenance of public roads and sidewalks. The current standard, where many of our streets in Ward 22 do not receive driveway windrow clearing or sidewalk clearing by the City were put in place in 2008. I recognize that there are some barriers that make it more difficult for the City to provide the same level of service in many downtown wards as efficiently as they can in other areas of city. I strongly believe however, that the City needs to explore every opportunity to deliver these services to a more equitable level.

During and after heavy storms (like the one we're expecting soon), please call 311 if the City of Toronto can be of assistance. Let me know if I can do anything to support you.

Protecting Ward 22 at the OMB

The applicants for new developments at the Art Shoppe site and 95 & 99 Broadway, near Redpath, have taken the City to the OMB. I have ensured that our community's interests will be well represented by City Planning and Legal staff. I am also fighting to protect the South Eglinton community from major developments that are encroaching on single family homes on Soudan Ave. For more information on developments in Ward 22 please see this webpage and for more information on also please also learn more about you can help free Toronto from the OMB.

Supporting Tenants

City Council voted to support tenants as a result of a motion I co-sponsored earlier this year. The motion seeks to make changes to the provincial Residential Tenancies act by:

· Eliminating the exemption for rent increases for rental residential units built or occupied after November1, 1991 in order to provide the same rent control protection for tenants renting these units that are afforded to other tenants in Toronto, many of them in new condo buildings

· Implementing an automatic rent freeze on all rent increases where there is non-compliance with outstanding work orders and asking the province to collaborate with the City in setting up an automated system for direct access for work orders to eliminate the need for tenants to provide proof of the work orders

To learn more about my campaign to support tenants and stop unfair above the guideline rent increases, please visit this webpage

Addressing Problem Hoarding

As many of you know, I have been working with Manor Rd. E. residents and City staff for several years to address problem hoarding. We took major steps with the support of Toronto Fire last month but there is significant work still needed to find a long-term solution in this specific case, and others across Toronto. That's why I'm pleased my colleagues supported the staff report, which was initiated by my 2011 motion, to help address hoarding from a municipal perspective and my amendment to ask the province for increased mental health resources and changes to the Mental Health Act that will address the roots of the problem. I also met with the local community about this a couple of weeks ago to ensure they were informed.

2014 City of Toronto Budget

In January, I'll be hosting a Budget Town Hall to inform you about what is being proposed and to listen to your feedback about both services and tax rates. I'll be sending you a notice after the holidays. Meanwhile, please click here to learn more about the staff recommendations.

Three years of regular updates to residents

Keeping you engaged and informed has always been a priority for me since I was elected as our city councillor in 2010. Please click here if you would like to read any archives of past e=newsletters I've sent you on literally thousands of issues important to Ward 22.

Please see the attached motion regarding financing the Bloor-Danforth subway extension in Scarborough that will be submitted to tomorrow's Budget Committee meeting for consideration. The intent of this motion is to ensure that all relevant and factual information is provided to Council before increases to our city's debt and property taxes are approved.

Regardless of whether or not this motion is supported at tomorrow's Budget Committee meeting, it is my intention to move this at the Special Council meeting regarding the 2014 budget in January.

I believe that we must move forward with Toronto's transit priorities. Before we ask residents to fund these projects, we must have complete financial information, cost certainly and all relevant planning information.

President Mandela's impact on his country of South Africa, and the world, was no less than transformational. He was a strong, kind and forgiving man and has left us all with a legacy of greater equality, peace and reconciliation.

In the face of Apartheid, a cruel and violent policy of racial discrimination, and after decades of imprisonment, Nelson Mandela chose to heal a nation rather than seek vengeance.

I look forward to telling my young daughter about him one day and how we all can learn from his example.

Sincerely,

Josh

Maurice Cody Dirt-to-Turf Update

I am delighted to announce that the Maurice Cody field will be open starting this Monday, December 9. After two years of hard work by the school, parents, students, teachers, the TDSB and my office, I am thrilled to see this exciting new play space now open for our community to enjoy! I was very happy to contribute to the success of this project.

Here are some basic guidelines for using the field, shared by Principal Andrew Howard:

Please do not let dogs onto the field

Holes in the lining can be caused by picking at the grass

Please do not light fireworks from the field on Victoria/Canada Day as it will burn the turf

Please keep the field clean

New garbage bins have been ordered for both sides of the playing field and the playground, and we are hopeful that they will arrive soon. The lines and any final repairs will be completed in the spring.

To celebrate the opening, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be taking place this Saturday morning at 10:30 am, followed by a demonstration and an opportunity to play rugby on the field. The Maurice Cody winter fair begins afterwards. I hope to see you there!

New Mural on the Beltline

I am proud to announce that on November 10, I joined local residents to unveil the second half of the new Beltline Trail Mural. Painted by artists Viviana Astudillo and Logan Miller, this exciting project was conceived by the community group Friends of the Beltline and founder Donna Koegl. The first half of the mural was unveiled this August. The mural is a wonderful example of a community coming together to improve their local green space and I would suggest you visit this beautiful mural when you have the chance! It is located underneath the Eglinton Avenue overpass. For more information, please read this article in the Town Crier.

Update on the Proposed Billy Bishop Airport Expansion

Yesterday at City Hall, the Executive Committee voted to defer Porter's expansion plans to February, 2014. Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, an island airport expansion proponent, supported the deferral stating that staff needs additional studies and information for Council to make an informed decision. I will provide an update on this situation when the item comes back to Council.

Correction: In my last e-newsletter, I wrote that Porter Airlines had paid for the study. In fact, they had offered to. It was the Toronto Port Authority who has paid for the report. There are still many unknowns about who exactly will pick up the entire costs of this initiative going forward.

Update on Addressing the Roots of Youth Violence

It is time for the City of Toronto to take thoughtful and proactive measures to deal with youth violence no matter what neighbourhood it is found in. We cannot wait for another tragedy to spur more calls for blue ribbon panels and simplistic reactions. There have been many good reports that have already provided us with recommendations on how to move forward including The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence by Dr. Alvin Curling and The Honourable Roy McMurtry. Genuine, evidence-based action is needed now and without delay.

Since then, I have been working closely with City staff on a Youth Equity Strategy to support the most marginalized youth in Toronto – those who are at the highest risk to be involved in or victimized by violence. As the Youth Equity Strategy won’t be finished until this winter, which is too late for the 2014 City of Toronto budget, I pushed for a list of “quick wins” from City staff to move the Strategy forward in 2014 and also to test some promising pilot projects. The Toronto Star wrote about these initiatives earlier this week.

On Wednesday, the Community Development and Recreation Committee unanimously supported my request to include these important investments 2014 budget. This is a very important milestone but we still need to seek approval from the Budget Committee and, in mid-January, the full City Council. If you would like to support taking action to address the roots of youth violence in Toronto by writing or speaking to the Budget Committee, please email me at
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and I will send you a reminder one week before the committee meets.

Ward 22 Development

As you know, Midtown has a number of new development applications. I continue to work with our community to protect the fabric and character of our neighbourhoods. I also recognize that the current system gives an unfair advantage to developers and I am working to free Toronto from the Ontario Municipal Board (see below). To view development proposals in our community please visit the development page on my website. I created this to ensure residents would have direct access to staff reports and be informed about proposed developments in their neighbourhoods.

Free Toronto from the OMB! Stop Inappropriate Development

The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) is an unelected and unaccountable provincial body which has the final say on all planning decisions in the province of Ontario that often gives the development industry an unfair advantage at "appeals" hearings over the interests of our communities and the City of Toronto's Official Plan.

The OMB has a history of contributing to inappropriate development in our city. Toronto's midtown neighbourhoods are facing an unprecedented amount of new developments, many of which are condos, and it's putting an unjustifiable strain on our community without the adequate infrastructure, including transit and public realm, to keep up with the growth in population.

Above the Guideline Increases (AGIs) for basic upkeep and repairs have pushed rents that were already steep into the unaffordable range in recent years.

Landlords can apply for AGIs through the Landlord and Tenant Board. Repairs should be included as part of a landlord's overall expenses and paid for from the rent they already receive. It is clear that tenants, often seniors who have fixed pensions, are being unfairly burdened for the landlord’s basic cost of doing business.

For more information and to learn how you can take action against spiralling rent increases and unexpected fees, please visit my page on AGIs.

Build the Relief Subway Line Now

The Relief Subway Line would provide an alternative within our existing subway system, which is already overcrowded during rush hours. It would also curb gridlock on our city’s streets and increase access to jobs and attractions. It is the evidence-based subway expansion project that would most improve Toronto’s economy and residents’ quality of life.

With winter just around the corner, the City of Toronto is once again getting ready to tackle snow and ice when it hits the streets.

Winter is also high season for watermain breaks. Cold weather plus rapid swings between periods of thaw and freezing put pipes under stress. Crews are ready to respond to minor and severe breaks 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

As soon as the snow begins, Transportation Services sends out its fleet of salt trucks to the expressways and main roads, while local roads and laneways are salted soon after. Once 2.5 centimetres of snow has accumulated, then plowing will begin on the expressways and when five centimetres has accumulated, plowing will begin on the main roads. Plowing on the expressways and main roads will continue until the operation is complete.

Once the snow stops and if the snow accumulation reaches eight centimetres, local road plowing will begin. During this time, snow service requests will not be taken by 311. Residents are asked to only call 311 during the storm if they would like to report an urgent winter-related concern. Residents are asked to not call 311 during the storm to ask when their street will be cleared.

The City will also open driveway windrows wherever it is mechanically possible to do so. Typically, driveway windrows are opened between one and two hours of the road being plowed. This service is meant to open up an area about the size of a single car width in order to make it more convenient to enter or exit the driveway.

The City will clear snow from sidewalks on local roads where it is mechanically possible to do so after eight centimetres of snow has fallen (five centimetres in January and February). In the central core of the city, property owners are required to clear their sidewalks of snow 12 hours after a storm has taken place.

To learn more about sidewalk snow clearing in Toronto and to view a map of the areas where the service is provided, please click here.

Besides snow and cold weather, there are numerous causes of watermain breaks and the City is taking steps to address the ongoing problem, currently spending $110 million to improve the watermain distribution system. Toronto Water is dealing with aging infrastructure and through the capital infrastructure renewal program, approximately 40 to 60 kilometres of watermain pipes are being replaced annually. In addition, three rehabilitation programs continue: cathodic protection of watermain pipes, cleaning and cement mortar lining, and structural lining.

Response crews are available 24/7 to locate, assess and repair watermain breaks in order to restore service as quickly as possible.

Please click here for more information about the City of Toronto’s winter operations.

Please read my update from a recent enewsletter I sent to our community in November about the work I've been doing to encourage the City to improve its snow and winter operations.

A message from TANG on air noise pollutiondue to Pearson flight paths

In early 2012, NAV Canada changed the flight patterns of aircraft approaching and leaving Toronto Pearson International Airport. Many residents have contacted me and reported disturbances from increased air traffic noise including during overnight hours. Some have described the noise as living under an "air super-highway" and find the volume and frequency of flights intolerable.

I brought a motion to City Council to have City of Toronto officials meet with representatives from NAV Canada, the federal Ministry of Transportation, and other relevant bodies to find a less intrusive flight path that respects the needs of Toronto residents to live without excessive noise pollution. I am following up with the City Manager on the status of actions Council requested him to take.

Recently, I met with the Toronto Aviation Noise Group (T.A.N.G.). They have asked me to share the following with you:

T.A.N.G is working in Ward 22 to stop the excessive aviation noise stemming from the new concentrated flight path that takes planes right over our communities and neighbourhoods. A T.A.N.G. representative may knock on your door requesting all adults in the home to please sign the petition.

To bring peace and quiet back to areas affected by this noise, you can sign an online petition. You can also contact the GTAA by calling 416-247-7682 or register a complaint. Lastly, you can write to our local MP Dr. Carolyn Bennett and show your objection. Together, we can work to make our voice heard over the roar of jet planes!

Problem Hoarding Update

Yesterday, my colleagues at Executive Committee supported my initiative to ensure that the City of Toronto takes a more effective and coordinated approach to problem hoarders. In 2011, I moved a motion to create an inter-divisional task force to address this issue. The task force's report to Executive Committee yesterday creates a formal structure and response protocol to deal with animal and content hoarders. This motion will come to full Council in two weeks.

Ecumenical Christmas Food Drive: Results and Outcome

The Drive concluded on November 30 and was considered a success with slightly over 16,000 items collected compared to 15,500 in 2012. In addition about $2,000 in cash and cheques were received for bulk purchases. The donations were sorted, packed in boxes and then delivered within hours to recipient food banks and agencies. Next year’s event, the 43rd, will again take place on two Saturdays: November 22 (to deliver flyers to canvassed households) and November 29 (to pick up donations). Please mark these dates in your calendars. Look out for advance notices in September.

Two area Sobeys stores (St. Clair Avenue just east of Yonge Street and Wicksteed Avenue near Laird Drive) are again supporting this effort by holding in-store drives throughout the Christmas season. These sources typically add another 10,000 to the overall total and your participation is encouraged to help the needy within our community.

Please contact Brian Kearney, at 416-972-0585 or by e-mail at
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if you have questions and/or comments.

It is time for the City of Toronto to take thoughtful and proactive measures to deal with youth violence no matter what neighbourhood it is found in. We cannot wait for another tragedy to spur more calls for blue ribbon panels and simplistic reactions. There have been many good reports that have already provided us with recommendations on how to move forward including The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence by Dr. Alvin Curling and The Honourable Roy McMurtry. Genuine, evidence-based action is needed now and without delay.

Since then, I have been working closely with City staff on a Youth Equity Strategy to support the most marginalized youth in Toronto – those who are at the highest risk to be involved in or victimized by violence. As the Youth Equity Strategy won’t be finished until this winter, which is too late for the 2014 City of Toronto budget, I pushed for a list of “quick wins” from City staff to move the Strategy forward in 2014 and also to test some promising pilot projects. You can click here to read a briefing note from City staff outlining these strategies including pilot partnerships with Toronto Community Housing, Toronto Public Library, and Toronto Police Services.

I will be clear: there is an up-front cost to these initiatives of about $600,000. You and I know that investing in our youth is a cost-effective way to build a stronger economy and healthier society, but I need your help convincing my colleagues on City Council of this fact.

Please come to City Hall on Wednesday, December 4, to make a deputation to the Community Development and Recreation Committee in support of Toronto’s most marginalized youth. If you are not able to make it to City Hall, please write to your local Councillor and the committee members to let them know that making the investments necessary to address the roots of youth violence is an important priority for you.

The committee will very likely consider these initiatives later in the day, sometime after the lunch break that ends at 1:30 pm. Please contact my office at
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or 416 392 7906 for assistance with speaking or writing to the committee, or contacting your local councillor.